The Maltese government has issued another statement regarding the Conscience — the vessel struck by drones in international waters just off Malta’s coast — reiterating that while it has offered assistance to those on board, it continues to refuse entry to the ship itself.

In its press release, the government emphasised that Malta responded to an emergency call with fire-fighting support and deployed an Armed Forces patrol boat to the scene. Authorities say the passengers and crew were offered the opportunity to board a tugboat and disembark safely — an offer reportedly made more than once and refused each time.

The statement also notes that essential supplies and humanitarian assistance were delivered, and that Malta offered to send a marine surveyor to assess the ship’s damage and support emergency repairs. That offer, too, was declined by the vessel’s captain.

What remains absent, however, is any indication that Malta is prepared to allow the Conscience into port. The government continues to point to the vessel’s “unflagged” status — a technical classification — and avoids directly engaging with the question of whether a civilian aid ship that was attacked nearby should be granted safe harbour.

There is also no explicit recognition in the statement of the ship’s stated humanitarian purpose. While media and advocacy groups describe Conscience as part of an aid flotilla to Gaza, the government’s language remains procedural, never referring to the vessel as humanitarian, nor acknowledging the wider context of the conflict it is sailing into.

The crew and passengers on board have made it clear they are not looking to be rescued — they are looking to complete their mission. And so far, Malta continues to say no, without quite saying it out loud.